The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-03
ALL STUNNED BY LIGHTNING.
The Brooklyn Young Mons Christian
ASSOCIATION Startled by Bolt
Llro,r, The N-e,r I-orl. IEcnId

The Brooklyn Young Mems Christian
Association Startled by Bolt.
From the Ne,o York World
At $50 o'clock last night thunder and
lightning began to whoop things up in the
clouds over Brooklyn, and fifteen minutes
later the immense Flagstaff on the roof of
the Young Mems Christian Association
building at Fulton and Bond streets, Brook
lyn. was struck. The lightning cut a SER
pcntine fuTrow from the top to the bottom
nf the staff and then scattered.
some of the electric fluid falling i'll shower
of fire to the street and more Of it
running through all parts Of the building
There were about soventy-flve persons In
the building at the time, and although no
one was injured, all were stunned for the
moment, and none of them care TO expert
ence a similar sensation again. There were
fifteen Young men bathing in the swimming
tank at the time, and they received the
shock more severely than any others For
tunately none was i'll deep water at the
time. George f. Haynes describes his ex-
perience in the water as follows:
'''rhere was fat man about to enter the
water" he says, ''and he was very timid.
He did not seem to want to get wet. We
were all gathered at the end of the tank
where the water is only about four feet
deep. and we were waiting to give the timid
fat man a wet reception. Just as he was
about to step into the water, my attention
was attracted by bright light, and,
looking through a window, l saw two
balls of fire drop to the sidewalk on
Hanover place. At the same time l heard
n great swapping, and then the water APP
peared to be charged with electricity l
was so affected by the shock that I could
not move, and | did not hear the loud peal
of thunder that | have since been told fol
lowed the lightning When | recovered l
saw that some OF tho men were fastening
sut of the water, and that others were still
Unable to move. My first impulse was to
rush out of the water, and did so. BY the
time got out all had recovered and were
hurrying after me. What was the sensa-
ton! Well, felt as | would if should be
told of great calamity having happened
to my dearest friend"
G. A. Freeburn, Of the Reception Com
mittee, was sitting in the office at the time,
He declares that lie tasted the lightning
He says:
II heard two loud reports; not thunder,
but the swapping Of the lightning. 1t APP
peared to come down the telephone wires ii
the corner of the room. The air appeared
to be filled with the fluid and l could taste
it, 1t tasted like sulphur. There were
about fifty men i'll the reading room, and
they all got out in about two seconds. The
sound was like the firing of two immense
cannon occurring just under my ears. Yes,
Irealized that the building had been struck
by lightning as soon as | heard and tasted
the lightning
Robert Jameson was sitting in the read
ing-room. He suddenly noticed that the air
was blue, and at the same time his body
was drawn up. His left foot ne says was
drawn up to the seat~of the chair. He be-
heved he had been stricken with paralysis
and he attempted to ask for help, but he
was speechless Then he heard ard felt the
crash, and he knew it was lightning. He
saw the man who sat opposite him drop his
book and rise from his chair. His face was
pale and he trembled from head to foot.
Then everyone ran from the room, and
Jameson followed He says he was not
frightened, but that if he had had time to
think he believes he would have been
scared
Those who were in front of the building
saw the lightning twisting itself around the
pole as it ran down. just before it reached
the roof it few from the pole and fell in a
shower to the street Mr. McAiahon. who
was in charge of Perkins wine store, directly
opposite the association building, was sitting
at the door of the store when the lightning
struck and he saw the shower OF electric
fluid. He says:
1t was like the greatest flying boom you
could imagine. There were hundreds OF
balls of fire, some of them as large as my
bead, raining down from the roof of the
building, and when they struck the street
they scattered in all directions like molten
iron would. Everything was brilliantly
Illuminated, and the brightness cannot be
described With this was the crashing OF
the flagstaff, and hundreds OF large splin-
these pieces. In five minutes they had all
been picked up and some of them were sold
at 25c. each. For while | was unable TO
move from the fascinating sight and then
ran, terror-stricken and hid behind Il pile of
boxes. do not know why | was fright
ened, in tal | did not think at all. The
sight was so awfully grand that all thought
III me was suspended"
An electrician who is connected with the
telephone company entered the building
Just after it was struck, and made a thor
ough examination to see if there was any
IRE smouldering. He found that no damage
mad been done except to the flag staff. he
Sald he could not see where the lightning
had left the building. A devout member of
the Young Mons Christian Association said
70 believed God had turned the electric
mud out of its course and saved the build
ing.
A flagstaff on the roof OF NJ. Schulz's
building, next door, had coat of white
paint on it before the lightning struck; but
Immediately after it was jet black, not q
Speck of white being visible. The staff and
building escaped further injury.